BenRan
by PappaAbbaKatan
Summary: 2 Mercenary Jedi break into an Imperial Outpost in the Alpha IX sector. See what they uncover and how it changes the universe. Chapter 3 up and Running!
1. Intruder Alert

BenRan Chapter 1: Intruder Alert  
  
Private Mendoza shouldered his E-3 Assault Blaster, double-timing it down the corridor towards the reactor of the Sector Alpha IX Imperial Outpost. He was on the right flank of an officer, along with four other storm troopers, mirroring the left flank, also with five stormtroopers. As he walked, he thought about the danger this officer was walking them into, all the while muttering under his breath about things like, "Inept stormtroopers... faulty blasters... inefficient perimeter defenses."  
  
The group of eleven walked like they had a purpose down the ramps and stairs that made up the spider web of connections in the reactor area. Finally they reached their destination: a small rectangular room with two doors on opposite sides. The door behind them was where they had entered the room. In front was where the intruder would be entering any minute.  
  
When there had been no sign of anyone for over fifteen minutes, the stormtroopers began to slack off, some leaning against the walls, others sitting against them. A higher-ranking soldier, marked with a yellow shoulder pad, approached Mendoza. "You ever fought against a jedi?"  
  
"Nah," Mendoza replied, trying in vain to steady his shaking hands. "You?"  
  
He pointed to his shoulder pad, "That's how I got promoted. Me and a couple of my ex-platoon members ran into two of them a few weeks ago. It was awful, but we came out on top. We snuck up on 'em and my platoon leader took out one with a Golan Arms, and I took out the other, but not before he took out the rest of my group."  
  
Mendoza shook his head in disbelief; "You took on two Jedi at once? I don't believe that! What's your name?"  
  
"Lt. Cyara. You should have been there, they're not as tough-" but he was cut off by one of the doors sliding open with the sound of rushing air. Two brown-cloaked figures stepped in the room and whipped out small silver cylindrical devices. Before any of the stormtroopers could react, a shiny emerald blade erupted out of one of the cylinders, a sapphire one out of the other.  
  
Private Mendoza had just enough time to look over at Lt. Cyara's face, contorted in fear, before Cyara's left arm was severed, and he was slashed through his middle by one of the figures. His Heavy Repeater clattered to the ground. Finally, the soldiers came to life and began recklessly firing their blasters. Both of the cloaked intruders expertly deflected all of the red discharges. Mendoza was still frozen, staring into the lifeless, glazed-over eyes of Cyara, whose helmet had rolled off when he hit the floor. He surveyed the situation, watching two more stormtroopers fall, hit by their own blasts being deflected off the lightsabers.  
  
The imperial officer in command was edging backward, towards the door, yelling into his com-link, "We need reinforcements! We need reinforcements! Start shooting Mendoza!" Suddenly Mendoza realized that the superior imperial officer who had ordered them to defend that room hadn't really expected only ten stormtroopers and an officer to take on the jedi; they were just supposed to be the alarm for the rest of the base.  
  
Mendoza watched as in the blink of an eye, four more stormtroopers fell, with limbs severed and weapons dropping. One of the jedi suddenly leapt across the room, a full twenty yards, and plunged his lightsaber into the chest of the officer, who slowly turned his head and stared at Mendoza blankly before dropping to the ground, eyes still open. The remaining two soldiers fell as the blue lightsaber-toting jedi chopped through their armor, causing one to be decapitated and the other to lose his hand.  
  
The Private looked at his feet as something bumped them. He found himself looking at the head of the decapitated stormtrooper. Mendoza fixed his gaze on the two jedi, his eyes wide open, and raised his blaster to his own temple. 


	2. Dark Jedi?

BenRan Chapter 2: Dark Jedi?  
  
Tiberius BenRan removed his lightsaber from the chest of an imperial officer and switched it off. The green blade waned, and disappeared from sight, and Scylla, his Padawan, did the same with hers. Using the Force, they lifted three floor sections and maneuvered the bodies and weapons under them.  
  
"Let us try not to do that again," said Jedi knight to his Padawan. "We shall be using stealth from now on."  
  
Scylla looked up at him from where she was still tucking bodies and weapons into the floor, "I agree. I hate to kill these poor bastards, even if they are the enemy."  
  
"Come"  
  
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The pair moved silently and deliberately, never making steps in haste. Tiberius moved like a serpent, sliding up walls and sinking into the shadows. Scylla had to rely slightly more on mind tricks. She caused distractions and slipped around corners, passing unwary guards.  
  
With Tiberius slightly in front, the two proceeded towards suspected cloning facilities. Suddenly, he stopped.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked.  
  
"Something is not right... I feel a disturbance in the force. But it is warped. It feels similar to the reborn from the time of Kyle Katarn, but I am not sure if they are the same." he replied concernedly.  
  
"Well you were there, weren't you? Is the aura the same? Maybe some of them survived their encounter on Yavin IV." Scylla sounded as if she might be mocking her master, impatient with him, but Tiberius knew better and he allowed the humor.  
  
"Well, if we do run into some dark Jedi, do not wet yourself as you did last time." He smiled. She was an incredibly gifted Jedi, but sometimes she just didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.  
  
Scylla smirked. "As I recall, it was you who dropped your lightsaber into the gutter, leaving me alone to fight two of them at the same time in the streets of Bespin."  
  
"That's right Scylla. That's exactly what happened." Tiberius replied, sarcastically, but warmly. "In the meantime, if we can put aside our quarrel and discover the cause of this disturbance, it may unfold the mystery that causes us to remain here."  
  
They continued walking again, more cautiously this time. Tiberius and Scylla kept their eyes sharp, their ears perked, and their Force senses wary. Tiberius led the way into a ventilation shaft, allowing them to survey the rooms from the ceiling. As they crawled through the tunnels, stopping to look now and again through the vents above ceilings, Scylla leaned forward so she could whisper in her master's ear.  
  
"If we're heard up here, we'll be stuck. They can just shoot us out of the- " She stopped suddenly and looked at the floor of the shaft, sensing the powerful condensation of Force beneath her.  
  
"I feel it too." Tiberius said shortly. "Let us move forward towards the next vent so we can see our eyes as well as with our minds. The pair of Jedi moved more quietly than human ears could percept, moving millimeters per minute. As they approached the vent, they heard the faint conversation of several imperials, growing steadily louder.  
  
".You saw what happened to the expeditionary platoon we sent down their over the video cameras just the same as I did. That was slaughter! We couldn't beat those Jedi even if we took every soldier in this base! I say we lay a trap. Besides, I'm the highest-ranking soldier in this base. What I say goes."  
  
"Shut up. Just shut up. We can take the Jedi, and I believe imperial officers rank above any soldier. So what I say goes. Now, just get those turrets up and running and the intruders will never leave this outpost with their lives. I want every soldier in the base armed and ready to go. We will have no more surprises. If you slack off, I'll blast you myself!"  
  
A knew voice entered the argument. He spoke in a smooth beguiling voice and Tiberius could almost see the Force dripping from his words. "The Jedi are not an issue. Proceed with the cloning as planned. Just leave them to me."  
  
"I'm just going to leave the Jedi to you." said a voice, obviously belonging to the imperial in charge. He sounded as if he had been drugged and Scylla wondered to herself silently, "What kind of Dark Jedi uses mind tricks on his own soldiers?"  
  
Tiberius used his telepathic force bond to answer her mentally. "One who is controlling a base that is cut off from the rest of the empire. How else would he stay in control? What I am more worried about is who their cloning and why. If they are making clones of the Jedi, it is very possible that he could have the Desann/Fyyar complex."  
  
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After several more minutes of "persuasion," the Jedi told his pawns to leave him alone. He sat down in a chair with his legs crossed and his eyes closed, muttering to himself. Tiberius turned his head towards his Padawan but stopped as the Dark Jedi stood abruptly. His hand flew to his lightsaber and he drew it, its pulsating ruby blade, glowing menacingly.  
  
"I feel your presence, Jedi." 


	3. TriDuel

BenRan Chapter 3: Tri-Duel  
  
Tiberius's feeling of alarm melted into annoyance. "Well, there is no sense waiting to be cut down from the ceiling," and with that, he Force pushed the floor of the ventilation shaft so that it split, allowing Scylla and himself to fall to the ground, landing gracefully on their feet, igniting their sabers as they fell. Scylla's ice-blue blade glowed terrifyingly, and next to the acid-green of Tiberius's, it made for a shocking sight.  
  
Tiberius surveyed the large room they were in. Its walls were well over 40 feet apart and the majority of the ceiling, excluding the ventilation shaft, was 80 feet. He finally saw exactly what this man looked like. The Dark Jedi wore a deep red tunic and a black cape with a hood. His black boots met at the upper shins with a pair of baggy red leggings that disappeared under his tunic. Tiberius had the same style garbs, aside from the fact that he dressed in white and had a brown cloak, rather than a black cape.  
  
"I suppose we shall have to settle this issue this with physical combat. Scylla, move in slowly and try to flank him."  
  
"Yes master," she replied, her focus fixed on the Dark Jedi. She was looking forward to a good test of her skills.  
  
The Dark Jedi smiled, "Perhaps I may not have to kill you two," and to the horror of Scylla, the other end of his lightsaber belched out another red blade, "too quickly," he finished, grinning evilly.  
  
"New plan. Scylla, you cover his left side and I shall cover his right."  
  
"Master, know any tactics to defeat a double-bladed lightsaber?" Scylla sent to him mentally.  
  
"Do not worry," he said silently and reassuringly, "I want you just to be a distraction for him, if he focuses entirely on me, take the opening."  
  
"I agree." she said aloud. Tiberius slowly approached the left side of the Jedi and Scylla mirrored him. Suddenly the Dark Jedi leapt at Scylla and brought one end of his lightsaber diagonally down. She parried his move and struck lightly towards his legs with her own blade before jumping spread-eagle style backwards and flipping just before hitting the floor.  
  
Tiberius saw his opening and Force pulled the Dark Jedi, who was still facing Scylla, towards him. His target spun and defended with a Force pull of his own and screeched, "You will not survive your encounter with me!"  
  
He spun his lightsaber around his body and lashed out with one end of it, catching the end of Tiberius's blade and throwing it off balance. "Alright," Tiberius thought to himself, "I am not holding back anymore."  
  
Scylla leapt over the Dark Jedi and landed in a roll next to Tiberius. She stood with her saber ready for quick parries and blocks. Tiberius readied himself to make a powerful strike by raising his saber so that is pointed above his head.  
  
Their mysterious foe sped forward launching a barrage of attacks on Tiberius, who blocked each blow with ease. Suddenly, the Dark Jedi raised one hand off his lightsaber and Force pushed Scylla into the wall behind them. Her head struck the steel and as her lightsaber deactivated, Tiberius caught a glimpse of her slipping into unconsciousness.  
  
"You bastard," he said angrily, gripping his weapon more tightly. He swung his lightsaber diagonally upward, powerfully smashing into that of the Dark Jedi's. Tiberius then pulled his saber downward and turned the recoil into a spinning attack, twirling quickly around and flicking his wrists to bring up the poisonous green blade down hard over his opponents head. The force of the blow almost made his enemy bring his own blood-red saber down upon himself. Just in time though, he turned Tiberius's forcefull blow into momentum for a stab towards the Light Jedi's waist. Tiberius swung his lightsaber like a windmill, swinging the Dark Jedi's lightsaber into the air. Seizing the moment, he slammed his own blade into his foe's and sent the enemy Jedi's saber clattering to the floor across the room.  
  
Then, in one fluid motion, he brought the glowing blade to the man's throat, stopping half an inch short. "Who are you cloning and why? You have ten seconds to tell me or you die."  
  
The man stuttered his answer, "W- w- w- we're mak-king force enhan- n- ced Jedi."  
  
Tiberius smiled coldly, "That is slightly unoriginal, hmm? I would guess you look up to the late Desann or Galak Fyyar?"  
  
Suddenly, the Dark Jedi's confidence returned and a smile played across his lips. "Yes I do. But what they did is nothing compared to the revolution I'm going to lead."  
  
Tiberius was slightly unnerved at the man's now unflinching confidence. "What if I kill you first?"  
  
"Oh, I don't think that is going to happen."  
  
Suddenly Tiberius collapsed to the ground from a sharp stinging pain in his lower back. His eyes shut tightly as he grimaced from the sensation. He saw through clouding eyes his lightsaber clattering to the ground and three members of a sniper platoon, armed with illegal Disruptor Rifles lean down and carry him away to the detention cells.  
  
As they pulled him from the room, he faintly heard the Dark Jedi say to an imperial officer, "This one will make a wonderful addition to our Force pool."  
  
The officer turned to him and asked, "What about the other?"  
  
Tiberius hear a few more words before passing out completely. "I will deal with him. along with seven or eight Sith torture devices that I'm fond of." 


End file.
